Process of repairing enameled leather.



A. M. & e. M. owuz. PROCESS OF REPAIRING ENAMELED LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED'NOV. 24. 1916.

1,226,146. I Patented May 15, 1917.

' 2 I AdeberML 2252? WITNESSES W624; MZbwle ATTORNEY UNITED STATESTPATENT oF ioE.

ADELIBZERT M. TOWLE,

OF AUGUSTA, AND GUY M. TOWLE, OF HALLOWELL, MAINE,

ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO LEONTINE IB. PAQU'IN, OF AUGUSTA, MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, ram.

4 Application filed November 24, 1916. Serial No. 133,239.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ADELBERT M. TOWLE and GUY M. ToWLn, both citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Augusta and Hallowell, in ,the county of Kennebeo and. State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Repairing Enameled Leather, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to a process for repairing patent or enameled leather wear, and an apparatus for carrying this process into effect.

In manufacturing enameled leather shoes, and similar articles, a large percentage of the articles are often damaged or scarred during the manufacturing operation due to handling. This percentage varies and often ranges from 50 to 75 per cent. Before being put on the market these articles have to be repaired pre'viousto being sent out from the factory. The common practice is to fill the cracks or breaks in the enameled surface of the leather with a suitable filler which is caused to adhere to the coating or surface of the leather by being rubbed vigorously either by hand or by machinery, the former method being the one most commonly used. When secured in place in this manner the patch or fill merely adheres to the finish of the leather so that, after the leather has been used for a comparatively short time, this patch becomes dull and tends to separate from the finish of the leather so as to render the edges of the patch clearly visible thus presenting a very unsightly appearance. In addition, the patch becomes easily separated from the finish of the leather, and has a'tendency to easily crack off or break up thus materially shortening the life of the shoe or other article. This is true even in the better grades of shoes in which a soft filler is used and the edge of the patch is cut down or smoothed and rubbed so as to adhere closely to the finish of the leather. In additionto the above noted objections, the present method of repairing or patching requires considerable time and is, necessarily, comparatively expensive. It is the main object of our invention to avoid the above noted objections by uniting the patch or filler to the surface of the leather so as to form an integral coherent, mass therewith. A further object is to provide a process of the character stated which can be carried into effect at the finish of the leather contiguous to the patch being also subjected to this heat. This results in uniting the patch with the finish of the leather so as to form a coherent mass therewith. When united in this manner, the patch forms an integral part of the finish of the leather and is so secured thereto as to effectually eliminate all possibility .of its becoming separated from the leather finish, as well as all cracking'or breaking of the patch.

In ourv process, the cracks or breaks in the leather are filled by rubbing a suitable filler into the same so as to form the body of the patch. The surface of this filler is then rubbed smooth and a coating of paint is ap plied to the patch and, if desired, to the surface of the leather finish contiguous to the edge of the patch. This paint, which is of any suitable inflammable substance, preferably a solution of-shellac or varnish and alcohol, with a small quantity of oil black, or other suitable coloring material added, is then ignited. Due to the presence of the alcohol in the paint, the paint burns readily for a short time and produces intense heat. This heat acts to soften or fuse the finish of the leather beneath and contiguous to the patch so as to cause the patch to flow into, or unite with the 'finish of the leather. By this means the patch forms an integral coherent mass with the leather finish, this uniting of the patch and the.

finish effectually preventing separation of the patch from the finish of the leather, or cracking and breakingof the patch. In addition, the flame acts to remove all superfluous matter from the surface of the patch thus giving a. smooth finish which can be easily rubbed to the desired luster. This flame also acts, as will be obvious, to dry the patch simultaneously with the softening or fusing action exerted by the flame so that the patch and the finish of the leather contiguous thereto are in proper condition toset quickly after the'flaming operation, thus permitting the patching to be completed within avery short time. During this operation, the patch and the contiguous finish of the shoe is in a state of quiescence, undisturbed by air currents or other causes thus avoiding wrinkling or unevenness 0 the patch and giving a smooth finish, which as above stated, can be easily and quickly rubbed to the desired luster.

In carrying our process into eflect, we have found the appliance shown in the drawings to be very convenient and eflicient. A sheet metal casing 1 of rectangular cross section is supported by the legs 2 provided at each corner thereof. This casing is provided with a suitable door 3 hinged to one edge thereof. A rectangular sheet metal shelf 4 is secured to the front of easing 1 adjacent the lower edge of door 3 and parallel therewith. The bottom 5 of the casing is entirely closed and is adapted to support, at its center, an alcohol lamp 6. The casing is provided through its to with a plurality of spaced apertures 7 hese apertures are disposed radially about, and equi-distant from, a pivot pin 8 which is passed through the top ofthe casing and a rotatable disk 9. Disk 9 is provided with a plurality of apertures 10 corresponding to apertures .7 The door 3 is provided at the approximate center of its lower edge with an opening 11. The opening 11 and apertures 7 and 10 provide means whereby air may be admitted into the casing 1 so as to support combustion of the lamp 6, and the products of combustion may be permitted to flow out of the casing. By rotating the disk 9 the current of air which flows through the casing may be regulated so as to regulate, to a certain extent, the combustion of lamp 6.

In using this appliance the shoe, or other article, to be repaired may be placed on the shelf 4 and the patch of filler applied in the manner described. This patch is then painted and, the door 3 being opened, the patch is inserted into the flame .of lamp 6 so as to ignite the paint. While the paintis burning the shoe is turned so as to distribute the flame evenly over the patch thus insuring pro er combining of the patch with the nis'h or enamel of the leather in the manner previously described. In applying the patch, the-cracks are first smoothed by the action of a whale-bone cloth so as to obtain arthin edge at the break, all dust and foreignmatter being previously removed. A suitable hard filler is then rubbed into the cracks and the edge of this filler or patch is made as thin as possible. When the filler is thoroughly hardened, which re-' quires approximately one half an hour, it is painted with a mixture consisting princi- 'pally of alcohol, such as previously described. Immediately after applying the paint, the patch is inserted into the flame of the lamp so as to ignite the paint, in the for repairing tips or other portions which manner previously described, the shoe being turned to insure proper distributionof the flame. This flamlng of the patch serves to amalgamate or unite it with the finish of the shoe so as to cause it to cohere to the same.

While we have described our process as being used for repairing enameled leather, it is also well adapted for coating the tips of the cheaper patent leather shoes. In manufacturing cheap shoes it is a common practice to make the shoes with dull leather tips and then paint these tips with a finishing mixture similar to collodion. This finish or coating often rolls up and peals off of thetips and, for this reason, is very objectionable, By coating the tip with a suitable finishing mixture, then permitting this mixture to dry and covering the same with a suitable inflammable alcohol solution or paint and igniting or flaming this paint, the finish will be driven into the pores ofthe leather tip so as to adhere tightly to the same thus effectuall preventing all rolling or peeling of this nish. This method of finishing the tip, in addition to being much easier and more satisfactory than that now in common use, is also very much cheaper. This method of coating is also well adapted have become marred by the presence of very fine cracks in the enamel. In such cases it is only necessary to subject the damaged portion to the direct action of the flame so as to 1 fuse the finish and cause it to amalgamate 0 or reunite with the body of the original finish. We have found by experience that this softening or fusing of the finish can be readily and easily accomplished by painting the damaged portion with an inflammable solution, such as described, and then igniting this solution. The solution flows into the cracks of the damaged portion so that, when ignited, the finish is softened to such an extent as to reunite and fill the cracks so as to form a smooth continuous surface which can. be readily rubbed to the, desired luster. The casing 1 of our flaming appliance serves to effectually prevent the spreading of fire in the event of the'lamp being over- 1 5 turned or exploding. In practice this casing will be mounted upon a work bench containing bottles of various finishing solutions some of which are highly inflammable and, for this reason, it is essential that an ap- 12 pliance such as that shown and described be used for flaming the shoe. The opening 11 through door 3 of the .casing, and the disk 9, in addition to providing draft regulating means, also provide means for preventing 5 cloth or foreign matter from falling into the casing so as to be ignited by the flame of lamp 6, and means for inserting the blade of a finishing knife, or similar instrument, into the lamp flame so as to be heated thereby without the necessity of opening door 3. Also, if desired, the alcohol lamp 6 may be replaced by a suitable gas burner adapted to be connected to a gas supply pipe by the usual flexible tube, as Will be obvious.

As we have had years of experience in repairmg patent-leather shoes we are aware that numerous attempts have been made to provide processes whereby the enameled leather can be quickly and easily repaired. We know that it has been proposed to bake the patch to the enamel of the shoe by various processes and apparatuses for carrying these processes into efl'ect. These baking processes are objectionable in that they merely dry and harden the patch, but do not fuse it so as to cause it to unite with the finish of the articles. Also, after the shoe has once been made up, the sole and other parts are often seriously damaged during the baking operation, and, so far as we are aware, no apparatus'has yet been produced or used in the trade capable of preventing this damage. For these reasons it is impossible in practice to bake the patch at such a temperature as to cause, it to actually soften or fuse so as to flow into and unite with the finish of the leather. By-our process the patch and the finish contiguous thereto are subjected to the action of intense heat for a short period of time so as tobe actually softened or fused, but this heat is localized so as to eliminate all the danger ofinjuring the sole or other parts of the shoe. In this respect our process difi'ers'materially from the proposed baking processes above referred to, and, so far as we are aware, it has never before been proposed to repair enamel leather by fusing the patch and the enamel finish of the leather contiguous. thereto so as to produce an integral coherent mass.

Whatwe claim is:

1. The process for repairing enameled leather and similar materials consisting in coating the outer surface or finish of the leather with afiller and then'uniting the filler with the finish of the leather so as to form an integral coherent mass therewith by the direct application of fire.

2. A process for repairing enameled leather and similar materials consisting in coating the outer surface or finish of the leather with a filler and then subjecting this filler and the finish of the leather contiguous thereto to the direct action of fire.

3. A process for repairing enameled leather and similar. materials consistingin coating the finish of the leather with a filler,

painting the filler with an inflammable substance, and then igniting said inflammable substance so as to cause the filler to unite with the enameled finish ofthe leather so as to form a coherent mass therewith.

4. A process for repairing enameled leather and similar materials consisting in coating the enameled finish of the leather with a filler, painting the filler with an alcohol solution of shellac, and then igniting said solution so as to cause the filler to unite with the enameled finish of the leather so as to form a coherent mass therewith.

5. A process for repairing enameled leather and similar materials consisting in coating thev material to be repaired with a filler, permitting the filler to set, and subjecting this filler to the direct action. of flame.

6.-A process for repairing enameled leather and similar materials consisting in coating the material to be repaired with a filler, permitting the filler to set, painting the filler with an inflammable substance, and then igniting said inflammable substance so as to cause the filler to unite with the finish of the material so as to form a coherent mass. I

7. A process for repairing or coating 4 leather and similar materials consisting in 9. A process for repairing enameled leather and similar materials consisting in painting the surface to be repaired wlthan inflammable substance and then igniting said inflammable substance so as to fuse the finish of the material and cause it to reunite soas to form a continuous coherent mass.

10. A proces for repairing or coating materials consisting in painting the materlal to be coated with a finishing mixture, and then subjecting this finishing mixture to the direct action of fire so as to drive the mixture into the pores of the material being coated.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two' witnesses.

ADELBERT M. TOWLE.

GUY M. TOWLE.

Witnesses:

R. F. Wnrrenotrsn, I EMERY O. BEANE. 

